Life is good. My teenagers are involved in sports, community service, and school activities. My husband and I also have busy calendars with work, social activities, and community service events.

I do make sure to keep in mind that I have to stay connected to my husband since ours is the primary relationship in the household and sets the tone for our family’s daily lives.

With that in mind, I have been trying to ask (ok, demand) a date night from my husband where we can enjoy each other’s company. Unfortunately, scheduling our date night has proven to be very difficult.

One recent evening, we were trying to decide what to have for dinner and since we were busy that day, I didn’t have time to cook dinner.  (Note to self:  I need to get going on learning how to harness the power of my Instant Pot!)

I recalled seeing an Instagram post from Moon & Turtle earlier in the day about a plate of beautiful ahi belly. I saw their menu posted on their Facebook page and saw that the ahi belly featured as well as my favorite dish, their smokey sashimi. I called to make a takeout order of ahi belly and smokey sashimi but unfortunately, they were too busy to prepare takeout orders.  So–my husband and I decided to eat at the restaurant. Our children were tired from the day and preferred to stay home rather than go out–so it was just the grownups at dinner.

We enjoyed Soni’s company at the bar.

We loved the ahi belly.  It was the perfect combination of ahi belly with watercress, daikon, ginger, green onion, and ponzu. My husband really enjoys Moon & Turtle’s salty fish fried rice. Since it was just the two of us and we knew we were having another dish, we got a half order of the fried rice.The smokey sashimi is one of my favorite dishes at Moon & Turtle. We even got an order to go since our children love it too.

Since this dinner was unplanned and rather spontaneous, I was still in my workout attire and not dressed up. My husband still tried to convince me that this was a date night.  I insisted that it was not a date night.  I told him that he has to ask me out on a date and give me some notice about the date so I can at least go to this date with him in attire that does not smell sweaty! I’m so demanding.

But as I reflect on our lives, any time that we spend together–just the two of us counts as a date. I’m lucky–lucky to have had such yummy food at Moon & Turtle and lucky to have a date who is happy to spend time with me in a restaurant even when I’m in my workout attire.  Living Hilo Style.